Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	1,732	5	3.5963	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34722	Serious considerations for repressing of the increase of Iesvites, priests, and papists without shedding blood written by Sir R.C. and presented to King James of happie memory.	Cotton, Robert, Sir, 1571-1631.	1641 (1641)	Wing C6497; ESTC R30275	19,787	48

after so many yeares of preaching of the Gospell that the common people still retaine a sent of the Roman perfume The cause is for that the formall obedience of comming to Church hath bin more expected then the instruction of private families publique Catechising is of great vse but the first elements thereof are to be learnt at home and these which we learn from our Parents stick most surely in our minds What was the cause why the Spartans continued their governmēt so many Revolutions of times without mutations Histories record that learning their Countrie Customes from their infancy they would not be induced to alter them And in this our native soyle we perceive that the common Lawes which relye on antient Customes are better observed then late Statutes of what worth soever they be so doth it fare with the poore People which being once seasoned with the old Dregs of Papisme will hardly be drawne from it till the Learning of the true Faith be growne to a Custome I will prescribe no order of aff●ires to effect this But I suppose that the antient laudable course by the Bishops confirmation will not be sufficient to fulfill so great a taske the Ministers must and ought to be the principall and immediate hāds to give assistance to so gratious a worke and in case any be defective in their duty the Reverend Bishops may take notice thereof in their Visitations Perhaps it will be thought a hard taske to constraine old People to learne the A. B. C. of their Christian Beliefe But how hard soever it be I hold it no incivility to prepare people of all Ages for the Kingdome of heaven By the order contained in the Booke of Common prayer on Sundayes and Holidayes halfe an houre before the Evensong the Curate of every Parish ought to examine Children sent vnto him in some points of the Catechisme and all Fathers Mothers Masters and Dames should cause their Children Apprentises and servants to resort unto Church at the time appointed There obediently to heare and be ordered by the Cutate untill such time as they have learnt all that in the said Book is commanded And when the Bishop shall appoint the Children to be brought before him for their confirmation the Curate of every Parish shall send or bring in writing the names of those Children of his Parish which can answer to the Questions of the Catechisme and there ought none to be admitted to the Holy Communion untill such time as he can say his Catechisme and be confirmed many times I have stood amazed to behold the magnificence of our Ancestors Buildings which their Successors as this day are not able to keepe up But when J cast mine eyes upon this excellent Foundation laid by the grave Fathers of the Church and perceive their children neglect to build therupon with exceeding marvaile I rest almost besides my selfe For never was their better Ground-plots laid which hath bin seconded with lesse successe It was not the hanging vp of the Bull of Pius Quintus on the Bishop of Londons doores or the forbearing to hang vp Priests that hath wrought this Apostasie but the idlenesse and insufficiency of many Teachers conspiring with the Peoples cold zeale that hath bin the contriver of this unhappy Web Untill the xith yeare of Queen Elizabeth's Raigne a Recusants name was scarcely knowne The reason was because that the zeale begotten in the time of the Marian persecution were yet fresh in memory And the late Persecutors wat so amazed with the suddaine alteration of Religion that they could not choose but say Digitus Dei est hic In those dayes there was an emulation between the Clergy and the Laity and a strife arose whether of them should shew themselves most affectionate to the Gospell Ministers hanted the houses of worthiest men where Iesuits now build their Tabernacles and poore Country Churches were frequented with the best in the Shire The Word of GOD was pretious Prayer and Preaching went hand in hand together untill Archbishop Grindals disgrace and Hatfields hard conceit of prophecying brought the flowing of these good graces to a still water The name of a Papist smelt ranck even in their owne Nostrills and for pure shame to be accounted such they resorted duly both to our Churches and exercises But when they saw their great Coriphaeus Sanders had slily pinned the name of Puritans upon the sleeves of Protestants that encountred them with most courage perceived that the word was pleasing to some of our own side they took hart agrace to set litle by the service of God duty to their Soveraign therwith start up frō among us some that might have bin recommended for their zeale if it had bin tempered with discretion who fore-running the authority of the Magistrate took upon them in sundry places and publikely to censure whatsoever agreed not with their private conceits with which crosse humours vented in Pulpits and Pamphlets most men grieve to be frozen in zeale and in such sort benummed that whosoever as the worthy Lord Keeper Bacon observed in those dayes pretended a little sparke of earnestnesse be seemed no lesse then red fire hot in comparison of the other And as some things fare the worse for an ill Neighbours sake dwelling beside them so did it betide the Protestant who seeking to curbe the Papist or reprove an idle Droane was incontinently branded with the ignominous note of a Precisian All which wind brought plenty of water to the Popes Mill and there will most men grind where they see apparence to bee well served 12. If without great inconvenience the children of Papists could be brought up out of their company it were a happy turne But I find it to be full of difficulty There is provision made to avoid Popish Schoole-masters but there is no ward against Popish Schoolemistresses that infect the silly Infants while they carry them in their Armes which moveth me to suppose that the former proposition to examine how Children and servants are brought up and truly to certifie the list of the Communicants and Recusants will be the readiest meanes to let his Majesty know the yearly increase or decrease of the church in every Diocesse And whosoever shall send his children or any of his Majesties subjects to be placed in Monasteries or Seminary Colledges or Popishly to be brought up in sorraine parts I thinke that for punishment both the one the other worthily might be disfranchised of the priviledges due to natural English-men so far-forth as any good by the Lawes may descend to them But not to be exempted from the penalties thereof or the Regall jurisdiction of the Crowne J know well that contradiction is odious and makes a man seeme ambitious to be thought more understanding then others In which case the Spanyard useth onely to terme him presumptuous whom he would call Foole if civility would beare it But in my defence I hope it shall suffice againe to revive my former